ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Department of Space
Study by Chandrayaan
Infrared measurements are done during bright sunlit conditions while X-ray measurements are carried out during phases of solar activity.
Imaging Infrared Spectrometer  aims to identify and map the location of minerals using absorption features in the reflected sunlight from the Moon’s surface. The extended operational band of IIRS also enables clear identification and mapping of water-ice on the sunlit lunar surface. The extended band of 3-5 microns in infrared enables improved capability to subtract the thermal background which otherwise causes uncertainties in estimating the water signature.
This information was provided by the Union Minister of State  Development of North-Eastern Region , MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
The new 6-Lane tunnel at Khambatki Ghat on Pune-Satara highways  expected to be completed by March 2023
The new 6-Lane tunnel at Khambatki Ghat on Pune-Satara highways  is a twin tunnel with 3 lanes each & currently under construction is in full progress informed Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Shri Nitin Gadkari in a series of tweets.
He said the existing 'S' curve in Satara-Pune direction shall be completed soon that would lead to drastic reduction in accident risks. The total capital cost for the 6.43 km long project is approximately Rs 926 Crore and is expected to be completed by March 2023.
Shri Gadkari said today, our country is witnessing unprecedented infrastructural transformation under the leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi & unfolding 'Prosperity Through Connectivity'. He said New India Demands World Class Infrastructure.
Shri Gadkari said the tunnel is going to enhance connectivity and most importantly, provide direct benefits to the commuters through their Value Over Time  and Value Over Cost  savings.
The Minister said average travel time at Pune-Satara and Satara - Pune stretch through Khambataki Ghat is 45 minutes and 10-15 minutes respectively. With the completion of this tunnel, average travel time shall be reduced to 5-10 minutes.
Special Service and Features
Local Shops & Small establishement to become wi-fi providers
As per the National Digital Communication Plan, the Central government has set a target of setting up of 10 million Wi-Fi hotspots by 2022. To facilitate this, the Union Cabinet headed by Hon’ble Prime Minister approved the proposal of Department of Telecommunications  to proliferate Broadband through Public Wi-Fi networks under the framework of the Prime Minister’s Wi-Fi Access Network Interface  on 9th December 2020.
The PM WANI ecosystem consists of the following entities:
a) Public Data Office , which will establish, maintain and operate PM-WANI compliant Access Points  and deliver broadband services to customers
b) Public Data Office Aggregator , which will aggregate the PDOs and perform the functions of Accounting and Authorisation.
c) App Provider, which will develop an App to register users and discover PM-WANI compliant APs in the nearby area for accessing internet services.
To facilitate ease of doing business and encourage local shops and small establishments to become Wi-Fi providers, it has been approved that the last-mile Public Wi-Fi providers require no license, no registration and will not need to pay any fees to DoT. In fact, PDOAs, who will aggregate the last-mile providers will also not require any license. These PDOAs will only have to register, for which no fees will be charged. The registration process will be completed within 7 working days of the receipt of applications.
Department of Telecommunications  will assist all the stake holders in implementation and proliferation of PM WANI.For more details, please visit https://pmwani.gov.in/wani.For further information, please contact 044 – 2825 1066 & 0422-2451144  send email to adg.tn-dgt-dot[at]gov[dot]in & dirrcbt.tn-dgt-dot[at]gov[dot]in
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Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Anurag Thakur virtually launches official cheer song for Tokyo-bound Indian contingent
Union Minister of Youth Affairs & Sports Shri Anurag Thakur launched the official cheer song for the Tokyo-bound Indian contingent in a virtual event on Wednesday. The event was also attended by Minister of State for Youth Affairs and Sports Shri Nisith Pramanik, Indian Olympic Association President Shri Narinder Batra, IOA Secretary-General Shri Rajeev Mehta, Director General, Sports Authority of India Shri Sandip Pradhan and CEO, Target Olympic Podium Scheme, Commander Rajgopalan.The song, titled ‘Hindustani Way’, is performed by young pop singer Ananya Birla and composed by veteran Indian music composer AR Rahman.
Shri Anurag Thakur congratulated the artists for coming together during tough times and executing the project with full passion. “I thank AR Rahman and Ananya Birla for taking this initiative. They did this song with a lot of passion and it also takes a lot of compassion to execute this during the Covid 19 pandemic, when it was not easy for them to collaborate. You took all the interest and initiative to come out with this song for Team India and cheer for India. I request everyone to share this song as much as you can,” mentioned Shri Thakur.
Shri Nisith Pramanik mentioned that the song is yet another encouraging step to amplify Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s clarion call of cheering in every possible way for the Tokyo-bound athletes. “Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi initiated the #Cheer4India campaign for our Tokyo-bound athletes. The country came forward wholeheartedly to show support and solidarity to this clarion call. I thank the maestro AR Rahman and Youth icon Ananya Birla to come up with this amazing production,” said Shri Pramanik.
Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
Pro Kabaddi players to compete for UP and Tamil Nadu teams in closing ceremony of Kashi Tamil Sangamam
The sports festival ongoing at the Kashi Tamil Sangamam will come to an end at the Banaras Hindu University campus, Uttar Pradesh, on Thursday with a cracking Kabaddi match between UP and Tamil Nadu.
Players from the Pro Kabaddi League will be seen competing in the match, that will also be broadcast by Doordarshan, 4:30 pm onwards.
Some of the Pro Kabaddi players in action tomorrow include:
Team UP:
1. Abhishek Singh - Telugu Titans
2. Hereunder Kumar - U Mumba
3. Vijay - Telugu Titans
Team Tamil Nadu:
1. Chandran Ranjith - Gujarat Giants
2. Sajin Chandrashekhar - Patna Pirates
The Sports Authority of India  organised this 8-day “sports summit” at the Banaras Hindu University campus from December 8. A total of 9 sports competitions took place at the Banaras Hindu University between teams participating from Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu, both men and women.
Prime Minister's Office
PM shares citizen’s response to Ayushman Bharat Scheme
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has shared a citizen’s response to Ayushman Bharat Scheme highlighting the health insurance cover of Rs 5 lakhs for all Indian citizens. The Prime Minister remarked that the benefits of the scheme can be availed all over India.
Quoting a tweet by a citizen, the Prime Minister tweeted;
“It absolutely is. Equally important is the fact that one can avail of the benefits of this scheme all over India.”
EAC-PM
EAC-PM to release the Social Progress Index  for states and districts
Economic Advisory Council to Prime Minister  will release the Social Progress Index  for states and districts of India on December 20, 2022. The report has been prepared by Institute for Competitiveness, headed by Dr Amit Kapoor and the Social Progress Imperative, headed by Michael Green and was mandated by Economic Advisory Council to the Prime Minister of India.
SPI is a comprehensive tool intended to be a holistic measure of the Social Progress made by the country at the national and sub-national levels. Understanding that the social progress of citizens is key to sustaining economic growth in the long run, the index complements the conventional measures of economic growth and development. Keeping in mind the pressing need for a measurement model that can better understand the needs of society, while also equipping decision-makers with the necessary knowledge and tools, the team embarked on an extensive research phase to identify appropriate indicators and measures of social progress for the report.
SPI assesses the performance of states and districts on three dimensions of social progress: Basic Human Needs, Foundations of Wellbeing, and Opportunity. Within each dimension, there are four components.
- The dimension of Basic Human Needs assesses the performance of states and districts in terms of Nutrition and Basic Medical Care, Water and Sanitation, Personal Safety and Shelter.
- The dimension of Foundations of Wellbeing evaluates the progress made by the country across the components of Access to Basic Knowledge, Access to Information and Communication, Health and Wellness, and Environmental Quality.
- The dimension of Opportunity focuses on aspects of Personal Rights, Personal Freedom and Choice, Inclusiveness, and Access to Advanced Education.
The report will be released by Smt. Smriti Irani, Minister of Women and Child Development of India and Dr Bibek Debroy, Chairman EAC-PM. The event shall also have insights and remarks by Michael Green, CEO, Social Progress Imperative and Dr Amit Kapoor, Honorary Chairman, Institute for Competitiveness and Lecturer, Stanford University who are the authors of the report.
With state and district-wise rankings and scorecards, the report aims to provide a systematic account of the social progress made at all levels in the country. The report also sheds light on the achievements of the districts that have performed well on the index and the role of the states in achieving social progress. A special section of the report provides an analysis of the Aspirational Districts of India, leading to a broader understanding of the social progress at the grassroots level. The report will act as a critical enabler and tool for policymakers in the coming years for achieving sustained socio-economic growth.
The release event takes place at National Nehru Memorial Museum, , Teen Murti House, New Delhi on December 20, 2022 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM followed by lunch. The event is open to the press.
Ministry of Coal
NCL becomes first PSU
To vaccinate Entire workforce for Covid-19
Northern Coalfields Ltd , a Coal India Ltd subsidiary has become the first PSU in the country, which has got all its employees and their family members vaccinatedagainst Covid-19. The company has a strength of around fifty thousand people comprising of over thirteen thousand full time employees, sixteen thousand contract workers and their twenty thousand family members residing in and around its operation areas.
“During the unprecedented crisis of Covid, our coal warriors worked 24X7 and ensured uninterrupted coal supply to the nation. They are our real assets and the health and safety of them and their families are our prime concern. We left no stone unturned to get them vaccinated.” NCL CMD Shri Prabhat Kumar Sinha said.
The company started its covidvaccination drive with full support of local administration and later on also mobilized its own resources to get all its workforce and their families vaccinated. Various target groups were identified and special drives along with door to door campaigns were conducted to achieve this goal.
“As all of the workforce along with their family members have been administered with first dose, we have already started administering second dose to them. The company has also procured thirty thousand doses of the vaccine that not only helped us in administration of first dose, but also giving fillip to the second dose vaccination drive. We will also be able to complete their second dose of vaccination very soon.” Said Shri Charles Juster, General Manager , NCL.
NCL is Singrauli based Miniratna company of the Government of India operating with 10 highly mechanized opencast coal mines and accounts for 15 per cent of national coal production. The company had produced over 115 million tonnes of coal during the last financial year.
SS/RKP
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Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
Services of Doordarshan Relay Centres at Arjuni Morgao & Gondia going to be closed from 16 & 18 November
The Analog Terrestrial TV Transmission of DD National & Regional channel from Doordarshan Relay Centres  at Arjuni Morgao , & Gondia , is going to be closed in the midnight of 16 Novemnber & 18 November 2018, respectively and may not be available in terrestrial mode.
However, these Channels are available on Doordarshan DD Free Dish DTH Service along with the bouquet of other channels. The Equipments like Set Top Box, Dish Antenna and other accessories are available in local market.
For further information people can contact nearest Doordarshan Office or visit website: www.ddindia.gov.in, This is being appealed to citizensby Director, Doordarshan Maintenance Centre, Nagpur.
Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs
Affordable Rental Housing Complexes , Sub-Scheme Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban  Will Be Implemented by Public/Private Bodies
Affordable Rental Housing Complexes , a sub-scheme under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana - Urban  will be implemented by Public/Private bodies either by converting the existing Government funded vacant complexes into ARHCs or by constructing, operating and maintaining ARHCs on their own available vacant land.
This scheme has been formulated in line with the vision of “Aatma Nirbhar Bharat” to create a sustainable ecosystem of affordable rental housing solutions for urban migrants/ poor. It envisages to create a conducive ecosystemfor Public/ Private Entities through policy incentives which will leverage investment for creating affordable rental housing stock.
In order to provide impetus to the Public Private Partnership under this scheme, following incentives/ benefits have been proposedby Government of India and State/UT Governmentsas mentioned below:
- Exemption of Income Tax on any profits and gains derived from operation of ARHCs on similar lines as that of ‘Affordable Housing’ under section 80-IBA of Income Tax Act, 1961;
- Exemption of GST on any profits and gains derived from operation of ARHCs at par with rental services of residential premises vide Notification No. 12 of 2017- Central Tax  dated 28thJune, 2017;
- Project finance/loan at lower interest rate through concessional window under Affordable Housing Fund  by Housing Finance Companies  and Priority Sector Lending  by Commercials Banks;
- Provision of “Use Permission” changes for houses on vacant land, if needed;
- 50% additional Floor Area Ratio / Floor Space Index  free of cost;
- Single window approval of design/ drawings and other statutory approvals within 30 days;
- Necessary trunk infrastructure facilities like road, sanitation services, water, sewerage/septage, drainage, electricity etc. up to the project site without any additional cost to Entity;
- Municipal services such as water supply, electricity, house/ property tax, sewerage/ septage charge etc. for operation of ARHCs will be levied at par with residential projects; and
- Additional grant in the form of Technology Innovation Grant  is provisioned by Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs  for using innovative, sustainable, green and disaster-resilient technologies as well as building materials for cost effective, faster and quality construction of ARHCs. TIG of Rs. 60,000/- per house , Rs. 1,00,000/-  and Rs. 20,000/-per Dormitory Bed will be provided as per Scheme Guidelines.
Beneficiaries for ARHCs will be from Economically Weaker Section / Low Income Group  who are urban migrants/poor. They include labour, urban poor , industrial workers and migrants working with market/ trade associations, educational/ health institutions, hospitality sector, long term tourists/ visitors, students or any other persons of such category.
This was informed by Minister of State  for Housing and Urban Affairs Shri Hardeep Singh Puri in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID-19 UPDATE
India's Active Caseload less than 12 lakh  after 60 days
Active Cases decrease by 63,463 in last 24 hours
India reports less than 1 lakh cases for the 3rd Day
94,052 new cases in last 24 hours
1,51,367 patients recovered during last 24 hours
Recoveries continue to outnumber the Daily New Cases for the 28th consecutive day
2,76,55,493 total Recoveries across the country so far
Recovery Rate increases to 94.77%
Weekly Positivity Rate currently at 5.43%
Daily positivity rate at 4.69%, less than 10% for 17 consecutive days.
Testing capacity substantially ramped up – 37.21 cr tests total conducted
Vaccine Doses administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive crosses 24 Cr mark
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
Cost of generation of solar power
The cost of generating solar power depends, inter alia, upon intensity of radiation, size of the solar plant, cost of financing, etc. The tariff for solar power is now being determined largely through tendering process. For installation of rooftop solar PV projects, the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy  has worked out benchmark cost as follows:
• Upto 10 kWp : Rs. 60,000/- per kW
• 10 kWp – 100 kWp : Rs. 55,000/- per kW
• 100 – 500 kWp : Rs. 53,000/- per kW
The Ministry of New & Renewable Energy is implementing Grid Connected Rooftop and Small Solar Power Plants Programme, wherein, Central Financial Assistance  is being provided for installation of rooftop solar PV plants in residential, institutional and social sectors. The CFA is upto 30% of the cost arrived through tender process or the benchmark cost prescribed by MNRE, whichever is less, in case of general category states/UTs and upto 70% in case of special category states/UTs.
This information was provided by Shri R.K. Singh, Union Minister of State  Power and New & Renewable Energy in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha today.
Special Service and Features
Central Government gives priority to girls and healthcare: Union Minister of State Smt. Annapurna Devi in Namakkal
The Union Minister of State for Education Smt. Annapurna Devi has said the Central Government under the dynamic leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi gives the highest priority to the development of rural areas along with providing a better facilities for girl children’s education and healthcare.
The Minister said this in Namakkal today during a review meeting with the State Tourism Minister Dr. M. Mathiventhan, District Collector and officers of various Government departments.
In this meeting, while gathering information about the implementation of the various Central Government schemes in Namakkal district, Minister Smt. Annapurna Devi enquired the officers regarding the progress of the same.
During the meeting, the Minister said the Central Government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is profoundly implementing the various schemes in all the states including Tamilnadu. As the development of the nation begins in rural areas, the Prime Minister is giving top priority to implement developmental projects in those places, she added.
Stating that since 2018-19, the Government of India has introduced various schemes worth Rs. 15,000 crores in the field of education, Smt. Annapurna Devi informed that 15 Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose schools have been constituted in order to provide education for the children residing in villages.
Under the Beti Bachao Beti Padhao scheme, so far 15 Kasturba Gandhi Balika schools have been instituted all over the nation, she said. To develop students' unique talents, approval has been sanctioned for the unique talent development centre in 226 schools.
Under the Poshan Abhiyan, in 2022-23, the Central Government has allocated a huge amount of money for the mid- day meal programme and the various Central schemes are implemented exceedingly well by conducting such review meets across Tamilnadu, she added.
Member of Parliament Shri A.K.P. Chinraj, Rajya Sabha Member Shri K.R.N. Rajesh Kumar, Member of Legislative Assembly Shri E. R. Eswaran and officials participated in the meeting.
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Prime Minister's Office
PM pays tributes to former PM Mrs. Indira Gandhi, on her death anniversary
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has paid tributes to former Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi, on her death anniversary.
“देश की पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री श्रीमती इंदिरा गांधी को उनकी पुण्यतिथि पर विनम्र श्रद्धांजलि।“, the Prime Minister said.
Ministry of Women and Child Development
Impact of Covid-19 Pandemic on Anganwadis across the Country
As per the directions issued by Ministry of Home Affairs, under Disaster Management Act, 2005, all the Anganwadi Centres across the country were closed to limit the impact of COVID-19. During the consultation held with States/UTs in the month of July 2020, most of the States had also expressed their inability to open Anganwadi Centres in the light of increasing incidents of COVID-19. However, to ensure continuous nutritional support to Anganwadi beneficiaries, Anganwadi Workers and Helpers have been distributing supplementary Nutrition at the doorsteps of the beneficiaries. Further, this Ministry has issued necessary directions to the States/UTs to ensure distribution of food items and nutrition support by Anganwadi workers, once in 15 days, at the doorstep of beneficiaries. In addition, Anganwadi Workers and Anganwadi Helpers have been assisting the local administration in community surveillance, creating awareness or other works assigned to them from time to time.
This information was given in a written reply by the Union Minister of Women and Child Development Smt. Smriti Zubin Irani in Rajya Sabha today.
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare
COVID-19 UPDATE
68.75 Cr. vaccine doses have been administered so far under Nationwide Vaccination Drive
38,948 new cases in the last 24 hours
Active cases account for 1.23% of total cases
India's Active caseload stands at 4,04,874
Recovery Rate currently at 97.44%
43,903 recoveries in the last 24 hours increases Total Recoveries to 3,21,81,995
Weekly Positivity Rate  less than 3% for last 73 days
Daily positivity rate reported to be 2.76%; less than 3% for last 7 days
53.14 cr Total Tests conducted so far
Ministry of Mines
Mineral Production Increases by 10.7% in July, 2023
Production of Fifteen important Minerals Goes up
The index of mineral production of mining and quarrying sector for the month of July, 2023  at 111.9, is 10.7 % higher as compared to the level in the month of July, 2022. As per the provisional statistics of Indian Bureau of Mines , the cumulative growth for the period April- July over the corresponding period of the previous year is 7.3 %.
Production level of important minerals in July, 2023 were: Coal 693 lakh tonne, Lignite 32 lakh tonne, Natural gas  3062 million cu. m., Petroleum  25 lakh tonne, Bauxite 1477 thousand tonne, Chromite 280 thousand tonne, Copper conc. 10 thousand tonne , Gold 102 kg, Iron ore 172 lakh tonne, Lead conc. 30 thousand tonne, Manganese ore 217 thousand tonne, Zinc conc. 132 thousand tonne, Limestone 346 lakh tonne, Phosphorite 120 thousand tonne and Magnesite 10 thousand tonne,.
Important minerals showing positive growth during July, 2023 over July, 2022 include: Chromite , Manganese Ore , Coal , Limestone, Iron Ore , Gold , Copper Conc., Natural gas  , Lead Conc., Zinc Conc., Magnesite  and Petroleum  and Other important minerals showing negative growth include: Lignite, Bauxite , Phosphorite  and Diamond .